The Metamorphoses by Ovid, Book IV
The slaughter of Pentheus is more than enough to demonstrate amply the mischief of madness can work.
When it comes to epic poetry, one would be hard-pressed to find a work that influenced more poets, playwrights, and novelists than Ovid's Metamorphosis. Considered to be Ovid's magnum opus, this poem earns its spot on this list primarily due to the sheer volume of texts Ovid's poetry has inspired throughout the centuries. Of course, this is not an exhaustive list, but here are some of the highlights:
· The Canterbury Tales, "The Manciple's Tale," inspired by "Coronis and Phoebus Apollo" (Book II 531–632)
· William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, influenced by "Pyramus and Thisbe" (Book IV)
· William Shakespeare, Venus and Adonis (Book X)
· William Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus (Book VI)
· William Shakespeare, The Tempest, Act V (Book VII)
Other English writers include John Milton and Edmund Spenser. In Italy, the poem influenced Giovanni Boccaccio and Dante.
Some of the most well-known paintings by Titian depict scenes from the poem, including:
Other famous works inspired by the Metamorphoses include Pieter Brueghel's painting Landscape with the Fall of Icarus and Gian Lorenzo Bernini's sculpture Apollo and Daphne.
I could pen thousands of words describing just how influential this work has been on Western Culture and I would still not do this book justice. There are 250 myths in toto, and each has a modern interpretation.
I would encourage you to complete the entirety of this book at least once in your life, but if you want to get the minimum for today, read Book IV. As mentioned, this book inspired Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream; other inspirations are Pygmalion, Genesis' song "Fountain of Salmacis," Herman Melville's Moby-Dick, and even portions of The Godfather.
Estimated Reading Time: 35 minutes